Written questions by Johnson.

What steps he is taking to ensure access to CAR-T therapy for mantle cell lymphoma patients who previously have been ineligible under the cancer drugs fund following NICE's most recent decision.

Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England are made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the basis of an evaluation of their costs and benefits. NICE is currently re-evaluating brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) to determine whether it can be recommended for routine NHS use, taking into account real-world evidence generated through its use in the Cancer Drugs Fund.NICE has been unable to recommend the treatment in the final draft guidance, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta11545/documentsThis is because the available evidence does not suggest that brexucabtagene autoleucel is value for money in this population. Final guidance has not yet been published and the period to appeal NICE’s final draft recommendations closed on 19 January.In line with an arrangement between NHS England and the company, if NICE’s final guidance does not recommend use, patients who started treatment during the managed access period can continue their treatment.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the severity modifier on recent NICE recommendations on blood cancer treatments.

Since the introduction of the severity modifier, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has approved 27 out of 28 blood cancer medicines it evaluated, reflecting an approval rate of 96%. Of these topics, a severity weighting was applied in nine topics.

What recent discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on the timing of the introduction of legislation on the abolition of NHS England.

We are working with the Leader of the House and business managers on the introduction of the primary legislation required to abolish NHS England. This will ensure an appropriate timetable that enables us to work towards the two-year delivery schedule announced by the Prime Minister.

What steps he has taken to mandate the release of data for the data linkage study.

NHS England is committed to delivering the data linkage study, as part of a wider programme of research that will ensure research is embedded at the heart of the new children and young people’s gender services.The study was planned to take place during the lifespan of the Independent Cass Review, and a statutory instrument was brought forward in 2022 aiming to protect those disclosing protected information. It is well documented that some NHS adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics did not send data to allow the study to commence and the study was not completed.After the Cass Review concluded, NHS England took on responsibility for delivering the data linkage study. Following a further period of engagement with study data contributors, including adult gender clinics, the Department and NHS England are now ensuring all necessary requirements are in place to allow the study to successfully progress.As a publicly funded study, the updated protocol is subject to refreshed research approvals from the Health Research Authority, before the study can begin.

Whether he has decided who the members of the maternity and neonatal taskforce will be.

We are now finalising taskforce membership based on valuable feedback from some families and those who work in the maternity and neonatal sector. The members of the taskforce will be announced in due course.The taskforce will include family representatives, those with clinical and international perspectives, workforce representatives, charities, and campaigners, including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2026 to Question 78391 on Dentistry: Recruitment, whether he plans to publish in 2026 or 2027.

Golden Hello data will be published in 2026 and will consist of data showing the regional distribution of the original allocation of posts and the number of posts recruited to at both a national and regional level.

Whether he plans to inform families of his plans for (a) interim and (b) main payment compensation before the second anniversary of the publication of the Hughes Report.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. Since taking up my post, I have met with the patient safety commissioner to discuss her recommendations and discussed how we may respond in the near term to recommendations regarding improving the outcomes and lives of people harmed by Valproate and Pelvic mesh. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

When he intends to answer WPQ 84255 tabled on 22 October 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2026 to Question 84255.

Whether he has made an estimate of the number of hospitals admissions which could be avoided per year among over 80 years olds through use of the RSV vaccine.

The Government takes advice on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programmes from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). At its main committee meeting of 4 June 2025, the JCVI considered the potential extension of the older adults RSV catch-up programme to include those aged 80 years old and older.Data on hospitalisations formed part of the evidence which informed the discussions at JCVI and the subsequent advice provided. The minutes of the meeting can be found on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the effectiveness of mandatory health warning labels in tackling alcohol harms in (a) South Korea and (b) other countries.

In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to strengthen and expand existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. The plan can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-futureDepartment officials are working to progress this policy by reviewing all available evidence from a broad range of countries and engaging with a wide range of national and international stakeholders. This will inform the policy development to ensure the effectiveness of the final outcome.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 94188, what steps has he put in place to improve the speed of answering written parliamentary questions.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Slough on 1 December 2025 to Question 92737.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93572, what steps he is taking to protect NHS staff from second hand vape.

National Health Service trusts have a duty of care to both staff and patients, as outlined in the NHS constitution, to ensure a safe working and care environment. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will also give the Government powers to make public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free. This includes National Health Service settings. Many places already have voluntary vape-free restrictions in place. Exactly which settings should become vape-free, along with the scope and detail of the regulations, will be a matter for secondary legislation and will be subject to a consultation.

What steps he is taking to help increase uptake of the HPV vaccine.

Uptake rates in England remain high by international standards but adolescent vaccine coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic, although evidence suggests coverage trends have stabilised more recently. National Health Service commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent vaccination programme. There are established approaches to offering catch-up vaccination, and further work is underway to explore options for strengthening the catch-up offer. Currently, those who miss out on vaccination via the school-based offer can catch-up via the general practice (GP) HPV campaign, which went live from July 2025. GPs have been asked to invite unvaccinated individuals aged 16 to 24 years old for their HPV vaccine as a requirement of the GP Contract. The campaign runs until 31 March 2026, with girls remaining eligible until they are 25 years old, as do boys born after 1 September 2006.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes and provides a range of supporting materials to health professionals on both the 12- and 13-year-old HPV offer and the vaccine programme for those at higher risk. For example, further information on the HPV vaccination programme over all and the HPV vaccination programme for men who have sex with men is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programmehttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men-msm-programme#resourcesThe UKHSA also works closely with charities and academics to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of vaccination, including for boys.NHS England, in conjunction with regional colleagues, has produced an HPV vaccination school-aged immunisation improvement and uptake plan for internal operational NHS use, as part of their commitment to improving vaccine coverage.In addition, NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS App, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.

How many and what proportion of patients waited more than (a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 48 and (d) 60 hours at A&E at Lincoln County Hospital in the last 12 months.

Site level data including 12-hour accident and emergency waits has been published by NHS England since October 2025. Data on 24, 28, and 60 hour waits is not published.Provisional NHS England data indicates that 13.4% of patients at Lincoln County Hospital waited over 12 hours in October 2025. Please note that these figures are provisional and may be subject to revision with finalised data published the following month. Both provisional and finalised data can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/

Whether his Department holds information on the number of resident doctors who, whilst on strike, work for another trust.

The Department does not hold information on the number of resident doctors who, whilst on strike, work for another trust.National Health Service staff who are on strike are not prevented by law from working for non-NHS bodies or other NHS organisations, including NHS trusts, on days of industrial action, as long as they are not provided by an employment business to cover the work of striking workers. Before the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee (BMA RDC) strike action in July 2025, NHS England set out in guidance that resident doctors who have chosen to take industrial action should not undertake a locum or bank shift elsewhere during the period of action. More information is available at the following link:https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Industrial%20action%20FAQs%20-%20training%20progression.pdfDuring the BMA RDC strike action in December 2025, NHS England issued additional communications to Trusts to reaffirm the existing guidance.NHS staff should consider the guidance published by the relevant professional bodies before undertaking additional work during strike days.The Department continues to monitor the impact of industrial action on NHS services and staffing arrangements.

Pursuant to the Answer to Question 85849 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, when he expects people to be able to access thrombectomy services within four hours when needed.

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should have rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.The Department does not hold information on transfer times to thrombectomy units in the format requested. The proportion of patients that had access to a stroke unit within four hours has risen to 51.3%, from 47.7% in 2024.Presently there are 24 Comprehensive Stroke Centres offering mechanical thrombectomy services in the NHS in England, covering six out of the seven NHS regions. NHS England has committed that all NHS regions in England will have access to 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy by April 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer to Question 85849 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, how many and what proportion of stroke units are in trusts which offer mechanical thrombectomy.

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should have rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.The Department does not hold information on transfer times to thrombectomy units in the format requested. The proportion of patients that had access to a stroke unit within four hours has risen to 51.3%, from 47.7% in 2024.Presently there are 24 Comprehensive Stroke Centres offering mechanical thrombectomy services in the NHS in England, covering six out of the seven NHS regions. NHS England has committed that all NHS regions in England will have access to 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy by April 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer to Question 85849 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, what estimate he has made of the time taken for a patient to be transferred from the referring centre to a hospital offering thrombectomy services after the decision to accept the patient for care.

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should have rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.The Department does not hold information on transfer times to thrombectomy units in the format requested. The proportion of patients that had access to a stroke unit within four hours has risen to 51.3%, from 47.7% in 2024.Presently there are 24 Comprehensive Stroke Centres offering mechanical thrombectomy services in the NHS in England, covering six out of the seven NHS regions. NHS England has committed that all NHS regions in England will have access to 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy by April 2026.

What progress it is making on the implementation of the New Hospital Programme.

In January 2025, we published the Plan for Implementation, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationThis plan put the programme on a credible and sustainable footing, ensuring taxpayers get maximum value for money. We are committed to delivering all schemes and are moving at pace with the funding in place for design work, construction, and business case development.

How many NHS Trusts offer robotic assisted surgery.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold trust-level data on the offer of robotic assisted surgery. Decisions to offer robotic assisted surgery are agreed at an integrated care board and trust level, in line with local population need.Our 10-Year Health Plan commits to expand surgical robot adoption over the next decade, in line with The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. We will establish national registries for robotic surgery data from 2029 and develop telesurgery networks. The National Health Service aims to increase the number of robotic-assisted procedures to 500,000 by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023/24.Earlier this year, NHS England published the first national guidance for the implementation of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) in the NHS, offering guidance on procurement, commissioning, implementation, training, and evaluation. A national steering committee is already in place to support the adoption of RAS, ensure safe implementation, and to oversee the training requirements for surgeons and surgical teams.